This is one of my favorite Thai recipes. It doesn’t need many “specialist” ingredients, and is dead easy to make. It combines the salty/sweet/sour/hot tastes characteristic of Thai food, and the combination of the richness of the beef and the crunchy salad makes it delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. flank steak, sliced thin (can substitute cheaper cut, just be sure to cut it extra thin)

Marinade:

• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/4 C. soy sauce

Dressing:

• 1/4 C. shallots, minced
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1/4 C. lime juice
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (substitute: chili powder)
• 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 C. fish sauce

Salad:

• 1/2-1 head romaine lettuce (I actually prefer iceberg for its crunch, and even though it has no flavor, this recipe doesn’t need any more flavor!)
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 small cucumbers, slinly sliced
• (Optional) a few cilantro leaves or sliced scallions for garnish

(Optional ingredient for added deliciousness:)

• 1 Tbsp. toasted rice powder, which you can make by toasting rice in a dry pan over medium heat for several minutes, shaking occasionally:

. . . then grind it in a spice/coffee grinder:

Method:

1) Mix the marinade ingredients. Add the beef and toss to mix. Marinade at room temperature for 1 hour.

2) Pan-fry or cook under a broiler until it just turns color.

3) Mix the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to get the balance of sweet/sour/salty/hot you prefer — I add more sugar and fish sauce.

4) Toss with the beef.

Arrange the salad on the plate, then top with the beef.

Yum!

-R